Here’s Why Cloud Computing is Making us Happier

Here’s Why Cloud Computing is Making us Happier

The cloud is living up to all the hype, or so it seems. All statistics point to how cloud computing has made our work lives easier. From increased productivity to better collaboration and ideas exchange, and adding improved flexibility to processes and time frames, cloud applications have been a boon for business.

Studies from SkyHighNetworks have shown that cloud adoptions is constantly growing, while other stats show those who have adopted cloud technologies are happy with their choice. In 2015, a Tata communications study showed that, according to 85% of respondents, the cloud has lived up to industry hype.

So if you have been thinking about switching your business to the cloud or adding cloud platforms to your technology arsenal, it’s probably a good time to do it. Let’s take a look at some of the cloud computing benefits and how the magic happens.

Improved Collaboration

With the cloud computing model, any user can access files stored in the cloud from their devices, wherever they are, and make changes to them. This translates into improved product development and better customer service.

However, cloud data is not protected against accidental deletion, so be careful when you click ‘delete’. Retention policies may differ among cloud platforms, which is why cloud data storage and processing should have a place in your business’s backup and disaster recovery plan.

Mobility in the Workplace

With cloud computing, work no longer happens just in the office. Employees can access files from their home or when travelling, from their smartphone or a laptop connected to the Internet. Yes, sadly this does raise questions about work-life balance, but flexibility has been shown to make workers happier and less stress-prone.

Reduce Business Costs

Cloud computing allows companies to reduce the size of their own data centers. Having a cloud service means you will be purchasing less servers, less software and have less staff to maintain and manage all this infrastructure. Businesses using cloud computing can reduce the cost of IT operations without significantly reducing their capabilities.

Keep Costs Flexible

Another benefit of using cloud platforms for your work is the pricing flexibility. You only pay for the data you store, access or process. So if a business needs scaling up, you can add more capacity, and if it ever needs scaling down, you can turn off services or seats you are not using. Much easier than trying to deal with hardware needs and maintenance yourself.

Business Performance Goes Up

With all the above mentioned, it’s impossible not to translate this into further added benefits. Businesses that adopt cloud computing grow 19.6% faster than those that don’t.

Cloud Computing Benefits… and Limitations

Having gone through the benefits of cloud computing though, you might wonder what the caveats are. The cloud platform model may not work for everyone, so here’s a few limitations to keep in mind:

Businesses with high privacy needs, for example, may not allow their data being stored in third party systems.

Businesses in highly regulated industries will always have to make sure their cloud provider abides by compliance laws.

Companies with a lot of legacy infrastructure may encounter serious migration challenges when moving to the cloud.

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